The Trump Gold Card program has granted permanent residency to only one person since applications began in December. The secretary of Comércio Howard Lutnick reported this during a statement to Comitê of Apropriações of Câmara of Representantes this Thursday. Centenas of orders still awaiting review by Departamento of Segurança Interna.
The government began accepting applications in December following an executive order in September last year. The mechanism allows foreigners to speed up the legal residency process by paying US$15,000 to Departamento from Segurança Interna and an additional donation of US$1 million to Departamento from Comércio. Existe also the corporate version, which requires US$ 15 thousand plus US$ 2 million in donation.
Depoimento exposes difference between initial announcement and current numbers
Howard Lutnick attended Comércio’s Departamento’s budget hearing for fiscal year 2027. Ele stated that Segurança Interna’s Departamento recently approved one request and that hundreds of others are in line for review. The secretary cited processing delays and said the government carried out rigorous security reviews in each case.
In December last year, during an event alongside president Trump, Lutnick had declared that the program sold US$1.3 billion in Gold Card visas in a few days. This Thursday’s statement contrasts with that initial announcement. Lutnick explained that the process was recently adjusted in coordination with Departamento of Segurança Interna.
- The program requires a donation of US$1 million for individual applicants
- Empresas can sponsor with a donation of US$ 2 million
- Taxa processing fee of US$ 15 thousand is charged in both cases
- Aprovações occurs under existing EB-1 or EB-2 categories
- Revisões include strict national security checks
Programa links financial donation to immigration visas
Gold Card was created by executive order signed in September 2025. The measure treats the financial contribution as evidence for eligibility for EB-1 visas, intended for people with extraordinary abilities, or EB-2, for cases of exceptional ability or national interest. The program’s official website details the application flow and vetting requirements.
Candidatos pay the $15,000 fee first. Depois of background approval, make the donation of US$ 1 million or US$ 2 million in the corporate case. Departamento of Segurança Interna and Departamento of Estado conduct the next steps. The government argues that the mechanism attracts individuals or companies capable of contributing significantly to the American economy.
Identidade of the approved was not revealed
Lutnick did not provide the name of the person who received the approval. Relatos’s previous Bloomberg mentioned that the Chinese founder of TP-Link Systems in Estados Unidos, known as Jeffrey Zhao or Jeffrey Chao, had applied for the program. Comércio’s Departamento is investigating the company for national security concerns linked to possible connections to China. Forbes reached out to the company, which did not respond immediately.
The program faces legal challenges. A group of immigrants and an academic association filed a lawsuit in February alleging that the model prioritizes financial resources over merit criteria. Outra action, filed in April by inspection organizations, demands the release of documents on the operation of Gold Card.
Detalhes operational and government’s next steps
The government maintains that the process is now stabilized after initial adjustments. Centenas of applications have paid the initial fee and are awaiting full review. Departamento of Comércio and Departamento of Segurança Interna work together to speed reviews without compromising security.
Nenhum specific timeline for new approvals was released during the hearing. Lutnick highlighted the effort to carry out the most rigorous checks in the government’s history on requests of this type. The program remains active and receives new applications through the official portal.
Gold Card represents a change in the way certain residency visas are processed. Ele adds a route based on direct contribution to the government within the EB-1 and EB-2 categories already provided for by law. Autoridades state that each case undergoes an individual safety and eligibility assessment.
